Versatile and Cozy Butternut Squash Sauce
Butternut Squash is the quintessential fall/winter veggie. Warm and slightly sweet, it is perfect to feel cozy as days get cooler and shorter. While I often enjoy butternut squash roasted as a side or as part of a dish, it also makes a fantastic sauce! This recipe feels fancy but actually straightforward to make. It can be served over chicken, rice or pasta, and/or other veggies or however else you want to get creative with it! And in case you needed another reason to eat butternut squash, it is loaded with nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, antioxidants, manganese, fiber, and vitamins A, C, E, B1, B3, B6, and B9.
Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
½-1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Rosemary
Thyme
Italian Seasoning
Onions (optional)
Whole Garlic (optional)
Chili flakes (optional)
Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350-375°F.
Cut the butternut squash in half. Place a light coat of olive oil or avocado oil on the squash to prevent it from drying out as it cooks. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and garlic powder on top. Roast in the oven until the squash is very soft. This usually takes 30+ mins and I sometimes flip the squash halfway through.
Optional: if you want to be extra fancy, roast a whole head of garlic and/or some chopped onions in the oven with the squash.
Once the squash is fully cooked, scoop out the squash from the skin and place in a blender (or bowl if you have an immersion blender). Add ½-1 can of coconut milk (add to the taste and consistency you like). If you roasted onions and garlic add them to the blender as well. You can also save some of the cooked onions to add whole to the sauce. Blend until creamy.
Place the butter in a pan. Add the pureed mixture. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, and/or Italian seasoning to taste. Add parmesan for some creaminess if desired. Chili flakes are optional if you want a little spice! I also enjoy sprinkling in some nutritional yeast for some nutty flavor.
Serve over rice, noodles, ravioli, chicken, etc. with veggies. For example, I recently made this and mixed in sauteed mushrooms and ground beef with the sauce which I ate with pasta.
